Mount Pugh — Monday, Jul. 29, 2019

I’ve always wanted to spend the night at the summit of Mount Pugh and Mondays weather seemed perfect for it. I started hiking a few before 5pm (I worked all day Monday) the first few miles to the boulder field are a breeze. They turned out to be quite a nice warm up for the switchbacks to follow. The trail was mostly empty except for two hikers who were resting at the lake. The incline gets down to business at the bottom of Stujack Pass and so do the views. From the top of the pass you have an excellent view of White Chuck, another fun scramble. Walking along the ridgeline up to the summit block is breathtaking. There’s an easy path to follow but also plenty of safe places to scramble along the ridge. After some traversing and one or two class 3 moves you’re atop Pugh and boy the sunset didn’t disappoint! Definitely pack plenty of water because as the description states there’s no water access after the lake. For an overnight trip at least 3L-4L per person if you’re cooking. I saw a young goat while approaching the summit block and we played tag for a little while as he watched me scramble. The sunrise was an amazing experience to wake up above the clouds. Sloan is so impressive from this vantage point. Truly an incredible view of the mountain loop highway and all it’s impressive peaks. Took me 3hrs 15min up with my overnight pack and 2hrs 30min down.